Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez is recognized by the United States, and a slew of other western nations, as the rightful leader of Venezuela. The US government has imposed a series of economic sanctions on the ruling regime in a bid to usurp rival Nicolas Maduro and his cohorts from power.

Juan Guaidó is a Venezuelan politician, a member of the social-democratic Popular Will party, federal deputy to the National Assembly representing the state of Vargas, and currently serves as the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela since 5 January, 2019.

They have been accused of engaging in systemic corruption. The recent botched kidnapping operation against the president, that was launched by a team of mercenaries from the Silvercorp USA security company, highlighted how much Guiado wants to take over the Venezuelan leadership. Guaidó’s advisors are alleged to have signed a contract with the Florida-based security team to capture Maduro and send him to the United States.

They would get $212 million, and still collect the $15 million bounty offered by the US administration. The deal was allegedly signed by Guaidó’s associates. The hired mercenaries were looking for a big payday, but the operation ended badly. Eight of the men were shot and killed after their plan was foiled. Two others were incarcerated.

People close to Airan Berry, one of the captured mercenaries, have claimed that US security agencies most likely knew about the plot but did not formally sanction it. Jordan Goudreau, the head of the operation, has been adamant that the operation involved an agreement between his company and Guaidó’s associates. He even recorded a conversation with Guaido regarding the plan.

His team is deemed to have been overly ambitious because Maduro is supported and protected by the Venezuelan military, whose generals profit immensely from drug trafficking deals. Some of them have been indicted in the United States for using the country as a conduit for drugs headed to the United States.

The Macuto Bay raid from 3 to 4 May 2020, also known as Operation Gideon, was an unsuccessful attempt by Venezuelan dissidents and a Florida-based private military company, Silvercorp USA, to infiltrate Venezuela by sea. Eight Venezuelan dissidents were killed and seventeen invaders were captured, including the two American security contractors, whose interrogations were broadcast on state television in the hours following the event.

The failed attempt to capture Maduro has left some of Guaidó’s associates disillusioned. A few of them have even requested Washington to find a replacement. This is according to a new Bloomberg report. Some members of his party have additionally put forward a proposal to renegotiate with Maduro.

The first option is, however, unlikely. The Trump administration fully backs Guaido, and is not looking to change its stance any time soon. The current infighting in his party is deemed part of regular events to a larger course.

Some believe that the money that Guaido has been given access to by the US government should be used to provide aid to the nation, especially during these dire times when the coronavirus crisis is devastating the country.

Inversely, the United States government has frozen most of the Venezuelan government’s assets and bank accounts. They include those belonging to state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and its subsidiaries. Some political analysts believe that Guaidó’s influence in the country is waning.

Many Venezuelans are tired of holding out hope for him to become president. The country’s opposition has yet to come up with a coherent plan to take over leadership.